Author Archive Jim Hickie

Monica, age 91, died on 7^th August from complications following a hip operation. She had been a member of Clayton since 1984, and in 2011 was awarded honorary membership of the Club in recognition of her considerable sporting achievements.

Born in Cardiff, South Wales, Monica qualified as a PE teacher and quickly showed her talent for sport, playing lacrosse for Wales, and captaining the Sussex ladies’ cricket team. Her love of the outdoors led her eventually to take up rock climbing, skiing, sea kayaking and mountaineering, becoming an instructor in both Scotland and Wales.

Coledale Horseshoe 1985

Monica took up running relatively late in life after operations on her toes, and despite having several marathons and road races under her belt, quickly discovered that fell running in her beloved outdoors was preferable to pounding tarmac. She competed at all distances on the fells including races such as Pendle, Ben Nevis, Snowdon, Fairfield, Langdale Horseshoe, Coledale  and many others. Monica was an enthusiastic club member and enjoyed being part of the Clayton ladies’ teams for the Coast to Coast and Ian Hodgson Relays.

Monic transferred her running talent to cross country and track, and was successful at short and middle distance races, gaining many wins and medals in her age group, breaking records in both Britain and Europe, and competing well into her late 70’s.

Wendy Dodds, Linda Lord and Monica Shone in 1992 on Seatallan, near completion of Monica’s Joss Naylor Traverse.

Perhaps Monica’s most notable achievement, and the one for which she would wish to be remembered, was her successful crossing in 1992 of the newly devised Joss Naylor Lakeland traverse, 48 miles and 17,000’ of ascent, across the Lake District mountains in sub 24 hours.  She was the first woman to complete the Traverse, and at Joss’s suggestion subsequently took on the mantle of co-ordinator of the event for the next 20 years, a role which she carried out diligently and enthusiastically.  Such was her dedication to this task that Monica would drive from her home in Anglesey to the Lake district  and back again in a day to ‘meet and greet’ potential Joss Naylor contenders at road crossings to cheer them on their way.

Monica, a legend in her own lifetime, had many varied talents and was an inspiration to all those whom she met. She will be sadly missed by her many Clayton Harrier friends, her husband Colin and family.

A few of Monica’s many achievements include:
1^st L60 London Marathon 1986, 4hrs 14m – record
1^st L65 Snowdon Marathon  1991, 4h 51m
World Masters fell championship 2005 Silver Medal W75 (Monica was then 79 yrs old)
1^st L60 Langdale Fell Race  4h 02m 1986
British vets XC – wins in her age group in 1981, 1985, 1987 & 1993.
World record on the track at Potsdam as W75 in 2002, 400ms, 88.17seconds.
First lady of the Joss Naylor Lakeland Traverse, 13^th June 1992.

For FRA members there’s a fuller profile of Monica’s life and achievements in the next issue of the FRA magazine.

The funeral will be held on Tuesday 22^nd August, 1:30 pm at Bangor Crematorium.

Linda Lord

Devastated, shocked, disbelief, writes President David Scott. Words cannot adequately reveal my emotions when, on returning from holiday on Thursday, 22nd September, I had a phone call from Richard to say that Valerie had died at two minutes to three that afternoon.

It was so hard to believe, as Valerie had said to us just before Jill and I went away that we must come to lunch when we returned. Someone, who had been part of our lives for over 50 years and who had known our children since they were born, had died so suddenly and unexpectedly.

Capable, efficient, caring and a wonderful cook, as those know who have been lucky enough to go for a meal for four or a buffet for 30, are just some of the many words that could be used to describe Valerie.

Val Lawson at the Podium 5k on 10th September 2016. Photo David Belshaw

On my 2nd Three Peaks, she had taken Jill into her care and round the various points as they supported Richard and myself. Many years later she started running, joined Clayton, trained harder and went on to race all over the country winning many prizes. When Jill retired she persuaded her to take up running, join the Wrinkly Group and then Clayton. I had never succeeded in doing any of those things.

I first went to Tuesday night training at their house in 1965 when Richard and I would run to meet John Calvert for what became an eyeballs out effort. Afterwards I would go back to their home for coffee and biscuits. Over the years numbers gradually increased until after buying more and more mugs, Valerie was catering for up to 20 runners crammed into every corner of the house, with seemingly effortless efficiency.

Most of you will have come across Valerie when buying Clayton clothing, the sale and organising of which she had conducted with her usual efficiency having been Marks & Spencer trained! Or perhaps when she was distributing numbers at Mid Lancs races and sorting out those who had lost or forgotten their own number.

We had several holidays together including the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh where we saw Ron Hill win the marathon. In recent years the four of us have had two railway holidays, travelling across the USA from coast to coast, and one through Scandinavia. On those trips, Valerie and I would often laugh to each other, that as Jill and Richard carried all the money and passports, should we have lost sight of them in the crowds, then Valerie and myself would not only have been stateless, but penniless as well.

So many memories over more that 50 years. Valerie was a wife, mother and grandma amongst many other roles and she will be sorely missed by many people. I know that her death will leave a huge hole in our family as well as her own. Our thoughts are with them now and over the coming weeks and months.

The funeral will be held at 12 noon on Friday 7th October at Burnley Crematorium.

Mike passed away in the hospice on Friday 2nd September, aged 72 years, supported by his wife and son. The funeral will take place on Monday 12th September at 11.20 am at Burnley Crematorium.

Bob Mitchell, a good friend of Mike’s, writes: Mike joined the harriers in 1976……(just before I joined!)  He was very helpful indeed to me in my first couple of years with the harriers, guiding me around the training routes and taking me to lots of races as I didn’t own a car until I had been running for a couple of years. We travelled to races as far afield as the Edale Skyline in Derbyshire, the Three Peaks in the Yorkshire Dales, the Borrowdale and Langdale races in the Lake District and many more too.

He came to the harriers through his passion for the outdoors and his love of rock climbing. Mike has maintained life-long friendships with his climbing friends, a number of whom also joined the Harriers and they have all been members of a mountaineering club called the ‘NORI Club’…..The club name speaks for itself! (For those who not aware of the name – it is associated with the Accrington Nori Brickworks). They have continued to have weekend meets at various climbing huts in the Lake District.

Since joining the harriers in 1976 his preference of course was for fell running but he also ran in many road races and cross country events too. I can recall seeing him on TV crossing the line in the second, (I think it was), London Marathon to be run. Although Mike never attempted the Bob Graham Round he manfully set up fixed ropes on Broad Stand on the descent of Scafell Pike for my attempt and for several others in the 1980’s.

I think Mike’s best performance in a race was at the Three Peaks Race in the mid 1980’s where one year he ran a superb time of 3 hours 15 minutes, well in front of the rest of us!

Mike, his wife Susan, and myself organised the original Great Hameldon Hill Race in 1979 and for three more years to 1982 before we had to suspend the race due to the building of the Accrington Easterly By Pass which cut through the course. (Of course after the road was completed Paul Healey dutifully took over the organisation in 1986!)

As injuries and advancing years crept up Mike started watching Accrington Stanley in 1999 and had been a season ticket holder for many years since. He was well known on the Stanley Fans Web forum as an astute observer of all things Accrington Stanley. He used the web name ‘REDRAINE’.

Mike had battled bravely with serious illness for around the last nine years but always remained positive and bubbly. He did his best in his efforts to continue to live a busy life. Mike was much loved by his family and friends and will be missed by all those who were close to him.